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FIR Risk Advisory is led by Bruce C. Bird: four decades in accounting, audit, risk and fraud, now building AI-native data platforms with real controls.
Built It. Audited It. Secured It. Why I Built This   Our Story Background   Career Highlights   Shutterstock Focal Point Data Risk (a CDW company) What We’re Building Now   Connect   Ready to Put AI and Data to Work?

Built It. Audited It. Secured It.

AI solutions, data platforms, and risk intelligence — built by someone who's been on all sides of the equation.

Why I Built This  

I’ve spent my career on both sides of the equation — building technology systems, auditing them, securing them, and managing the risks that come with all of it. Accounting taught me to follow the numbers. Audit taught me to question everything. Cybersecurity and fraud taught me what’s really at stake.

When AI became truly capable, I saw an opportunity: what if we could combine deep domain expertise with AI that’s actually grounded in trusted sources? Not generic chatbots that hallucinate — but intelligent tools built on real frameworks, real research, and real experience.

That’s why I started FIR Risk Advisory. We build AI solutions, data platforms, and risk intelligence tools for organizations that need more than guesswork. Whether it’s our own FIR Risk Platform, a custom AI solution, or a Microsoft Fabric implementation — everything we build is grounded in the same principle: trusted sources and real expertise.

If you’re looking for a partner who’s done the work, reach out.

— Bruce Bird Founder, FIR Risk Advisory

Our Story

FIR Risk Advisory was built on a foundation of accounting discipline, audit rigor, and hands-on experience in technology, cybersecurity, and fraud management. When AI became truly capable, we saw the opportunity to combine that expertise with intelligent tools that actually work. Today, we build AI solutions, data platforms, and risk intelligence tools for organizations that need more than guesswork. We're builders, not just advisors — and we're invested in your success.

Background  

Bruce C. Bird — Founder & Principal, FIR Risk Advisory · Colorado

Four decades in accounting, audit, risk, and fraud. Bruce started at Arthur Andersen and KPMG, served as a public-company controller, spent fourteen years leading audit and risk work at Focal Point Data Risk, and built Shutterstock’s global fraud and risk compliance function. Since 2024 he has been building AI-native data platforms and applications — with controls an auditor would sign off on, and every statistic verified against its primary source.

Connect on LinkedIn →

Career Highlights  

Shutterstock

Sr. Director, Fraud & Risk Compliance · 2019–2024

  • Built the cybersecurity and fraud team from the ground up, owning fraud risk, access management, and change management globally.
  • Rolled out global access and change-management controls across 82 engineering teams — endorsed by both internal and external audit.
  • Device and account fingerprinting cut account takeover by 99%; disabled 40M+ fake and dormant accounts; $3M+ in recurring savings.

Focal Point Data Risk (a CDW company)

Principal · 2005–2019

  • Co-led the Atlanta office as Senior Partner/Principal.
  • Advised C-suite, Internal Audit, and Risk Management leaders on hundreds of audit and risk projects across homebuilding, restaurants, technology, and financial services.
  • Directed internal audit, enterprise risk, cybersecurity, data privacy, and complex system implementations for 20+ clients.

Earlier career: KPMG — Senior Manager, IT controls and advisory · Liquidmetal Technologies — Area Controller: SEC reporting, Disclosure Committee, quarterly Audit Committee presentations · Arthur Andersen & Co. — audit.

Credentials: B.S. Accounting, Virginia Tech (Pamplin College of Business) · Certified Management Accountant (CMA) · Certified Financial Manager (CFM) · IMA chapter Board of Directors, Atlanta and Denver.

What We’re Building Now  

  • Specialty online retailer — five SaaS subscriptions, including NetSuite, replaced with one platform the company owns, on its own data foundation: real-time books, a one-day close, and AI used across the team every day. Read the case study →
  • Public investment firm — AI and data-foundation analysis and roadmap, delivered to the CFO and executive team.
  • FIR Risk Platform — a fraud and enterprise risk platform where an AI agent monitors primary sources and company SEC filings, grounded in thousands of public research documents. In testing with security and fraud teams.
  • Custom door manufacturer — prototype AI tools, built with the CEO and production team, for plant capacity planning and delivery.

Connect  

Ready to Put AI and Data to Work?

Schedule a conversation to explore what we can build together.

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